Flying-machine.



". C. JOHNSTON.

FLYING MACHINE.

VAPPLIOATION FILED APR.18,1910.

1,068,663 Patented July 29, 1913.

l 2 8HEETS-SHEET 1.

J. C.- JOHNSTON.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1910

Patented July 29, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

1% J Z J4 W'nesses J'AMES G. JOHNSTON, OF BLACKWEIQL, OKLAHOMA.

FLYINGPIVIACHINE;

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

- Application filed. April 18, 1910. Serial No. 556,008.

To all whom e'tmay 0am: Be it known that 1, JAMES C. J or vsron, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Blackwell, in the county of Kay and State of Oklahomm'ham invented a new and useful Flying-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines and more particularly to means whereby the equilibrium of a machine may be maintained automatically.

One of theobjeots of the, invention is to provide a plurality of controlling planes all of which are under the control of a pendulum,' whereby, when the machine moves out of horizontal position and thesustaining action of the aeroplane is thus reduced the controlling planes will be shifted so as to present their broad faces to the air inthe path thereof and thus Operate to deflect I the machine until it has reassumed its proper position, s

A further object is to provide means whereby both the lateral and longitudinal stability of the machine may be maintained by the operation of the same pendulum, there being both side, front and rear controlling planes connected to and movable with the pendulum.

A stillfurther object is to provide means whereby the pendulum may be shifted manually for the purpose of controlling the flight of the machine.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and-combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

Inthe accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figurel is a plan view of a portion of a flying machine structure having the present improvements applied 5 thereto. Fig. 3 is a section on line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a, side elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective.

view of the pendulum and the adjoining portion of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the controlling planes.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a frame which can be of any suitable construction, this frame varying according to the type of machine to which the improvements are applied. The frame may form part of any of the various be a portion of the car of a dirigible balloon or the like. In the type of machine shown in the drawings, a propeller is located at the front end of the machine and a rudder at the rear end thereof.

.Mounted within the front and rear portions of the frame 1 are controlling planes 2 each of which is provided with a centrally disposed pivot rod 3 extending longitudinally thereof and mounted at its ends within the side portions of the frame. Parallel base strips 4 may be secured upon each of theplanes 2 and each of these strips is preferably formed with a series of apertures 5. Eye bolts 6 or the like are preferably detachably mounted within one of the apertures 5 in each strip 4 and a V-shaped link 7 is pivotally connected to the eye bolts and also to the apex of a triangular lever 8 carried by the structure 1. The connections between the link 7 and the controlling plane 2 are located adjacent the rear edge of said plane. The rear controlling plane is similar to the front-plane and has similar connections. v

The side controlling planes are of the same construction as the front and rear planes 2 and each of these planes, which has been indicated at 9, has a central trunnion 10 at each end j ournaled Within the structure l. A lever 11, similar to the levers 8, is fulcrumed upon the structure 1 at a point above each of the planes 9 and is connected by means of a link 12 to the front edge portion of the plane 9, the said link being pivotally connected to the plane 9 in the same manner as arethe links 7. The levers 11, however instead ofextending in the direction of the length of the structure 1 are extended transversely thereof.

A weighted controlling lever or pendulum 13 is suspended within the structure 1 at the center of gravity. Cords 14: extend in opposite directions from the upper end of the pendulum and are attached to the upper and lower portions respectively of the two levers 8 and additional cords l5 extend laterally from the upper portion of the pendulum 14 and are connected to the upper ends of the levers 11. The lower ends of these levers 11 are connected by cords 16 to the pendulum at a point below the pivot thereof and cords 17 extend from the same point on the pendulum and to the lovers 8 as shown particularly in Fig. 3, the forwardly extending cords 1i crossing the adjoining cord .t-l.

The pivot of the pendulum formed of trunnions 1S n'iounted in the wall of an opening 19 formed in a cross strip 20, thesaid truunions extending transvrisely of the strip. Additional trunnions 21 extend from tl iecnds o l' the strip and are mounted in suitable supports 22. It will thus be seen that the pei'idulun'i is free to swing in any direction but cannot rotate.

it is to be understood that the pendulum constaiitlyhangs vertically within the 1'' time 1 M'Cl that when the machine is properly balanced while in flight, the planes 2 and 9 lie in substantially the same plane. Should the machine tilt laterally, the sustaining planes would be eorrespondingly tilted thus causing the machine, under ordinary conditions, to plunge downwardly at one side. By the provision of the balancing mechanism wlnch has been disclosed, however, this plunging action is prevented because the pendulum, by remaining vertical during the tilting of the machine, utilises the levers 11 to work on theii fulcrums and to simultaneously shift the cpntrolling planes 9 in opposite direct ions. the lower face of the lower plane plane (I being presented, to the air in the path thereof so that during the continued forward tlight of the machine, the pressure of the air against these inclined faces will be such as to restore the machine to its proper angle.

Should the machine plunge either for- -wardly or lnurltwardly the pendulum will swing toward, the rear or front of the machine and motion will be transmitted there from through the cords 1 1: and 17 to the front and rear controlling planes 2 which will he tilted so as to lie in intersecting planes, and thus cooperate with the air in the path thereof to shift the two ends of the machine in UPPUSltG directions and return the nuzchine to its proper angle of incidence.

in order that; the machine may be manually guided vertically and tilted laterally Sf) lions. mechanism is provided whereby the can be shitted out of its vertithe trunnions 18 to the pendulum 13.

9 and the upper face of the upperto meet varying atmospheric CO1ldi-,

axis. Motion is thus transmitted through The cords let and 17 therefore operate to swing the planes 2 about their pivots. The actuating mechanism which has been shown in detail in Fig. 4; is of such a character as to offer practically no resistance to the automatic operation of the pendulum 13, it being understood that the various parts of said operating mechanism are very light and that ball bearings may be employed to reduce friction to the minimum.

As has heretofore been pointed out the balancing or controlling planes can be used in connection with various types of machines. Where they are employed in corn motion with monoplanes. it is desirable to locate them below the said planes and, when they are used in connection with bi-planes, it is preferred to locate them between the upper and hover planes. lVhile this balancing mechanism is particularly useful in con nection with acrodromes or heavier than air machines it is to be understood that they can also be til'tlplfiytd in connection with the cars of dirigible balloons and other lighter than air machines.

Various changes can of course be made in the construction and arrangcn'ient of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

\Vhat is claimed is A flying machine including a frame, front, rear and side controlling planes mounted to swing about axes extending trai'isversely of the line of flight, levers supported above said planes, link connections between the lovers and the rear portions of the planes thereunder, a longitudinally extending strip mounted within the frame and adapted to swing about an axis extending transversely of the line of flight, a lever straddling and pivotally connected to said strip for swinging the strip about its axis, a pendulum extending through the slot in the strip and adapted to swing relative to the strip in a plane extending transversely of the 'line of flight and adapted to swing with said strip in a plane parallel with the line of flight, a rod connected, by universal joints, to the pendulum and to the lever which is connected to the cross strip, connections between the upper end of the pendulum and the lovers above the controlling planes for actuating said planes in one direction when the pendulum is swung, and connections between said levers and that portion of the pendulum below the slotted cross strip for actuating the controlling as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signaplanes in the opposite direction during the ture in the presence of two Witnesses. movement of the pendulum, said endulun1 T r being located between the side egmtrolling JAMES JOHBSEON' .5 planes and also between the front and rear Witnesses:

controlling planes. J. E. ACKERMAN In testimony that I claim the foregoing A. Voms. 

